Partners in Crime
by lyook
Summary: The Chief forces Beckett to take on a new partner named Alex Conrad. Things get twisted and relationships are lost and found.  I suck at summaries but its worth it
1. Always

Disclaimer: I am a caskett shipper but I don't own them so this is my way of correcting the universe.

(Set after the pizza episode and kind of what could happen with this new "partner")

Chapter 1

" Beckett this is Alex Conrad" the chief introduces the attractive man and she shakes his hand politely.

" Your new partner.." She suddenly drops her hand from his and stares blankly at the chief.

"Sir, no disrespect but I have a partner" pointing to Castle. She sits down crossing her arms and just stares.

" Castle is a wonderful help to this prescient but Alex here is an official Detective in need of a real job not just for fun." Beckett is offended after all the cases Castle solved and all he had contributed the Chief was giving him the short end of the stick.

" I don't want to intrude but I just transferred and I heard you were the best" He put on a charismatic grin but she wasn't fooled. She stood up and brushed past him saying, " I am the best which is why I don't need you."

The case that she had received before the chief introduced her was a female homicide in lower Manhattan, single gunshot execution style. She took Castle's arm pulling him away from the boys and took one of the coffees he was holding in his hands.

"Who Mr. Important over there with the Chief." He grinned at her as they got into the elevator.

"No one just my new partner" The doors began to close as he choked on his coffee.

You could hear them arguing from a mile away and it was especially annoying for Dr. Lanie Parish as she examine the body carefully.

" I am not ok with this!" Castle was following Beckett two paces behind trying to catch up.

" It isn't your choice to be ok with it and did you even bother to ask if I'm ok with it." She stopped and turned making Castle almost crash into her.

" You don't seem to have a problem with it, but are you ok with it?"

" No, I have one partner and as much as they get on my nerves I only want one." Castle's face turned into a grin. " I didn't realize you thought that." She turned around and began walking again and yelled back, "Yeah Esposito has been the best partner I've ever had." His face turned into a frown as he ran after her. " Liar Liar pants on fire."

Beckett crouched down next to Lanie to examine the remains.

" What do we got?" She notice a lack of bruising or scratches on the victim's body which suggested no sign of a struggle.

" Female, late 20's, I.D. says Alyssa Carrow…her badge says she was an RN at the local hospital. One gunshot to the head at close range execution style, I put death around 10 p.m- 2 a.m. at the earliest."

A voice from behind them said "There's no bruising or scratches around her arms or any signs of a struggle." Alex Conrad crouched down to Beckett's level and smiled.

"that's right and who are you?" Lanie looked from Beckett to Conrad.

" This is…" Beckett was cut off " I'm her new partner Alex Conrad."

Lanie began coughing on her words " her what?" Meanwhile Castle stood watching the replacement him steal his line and get close to his Beckett.

" The Chief is making me take him under my wing." She rolled her eyes and went to go talk to Castle.

" Ok so I know I just got her but what is up with those two, she has the choice between a trained detective and a mystery writer and she chooses him. How long have they been sleeping together?" Lanie was still in shock over the whole partner thing when she registered what he was asking.

" Honey they are not sleeping together, you just don't understand what they have. I can't count the number of times he saved her or she saved him or they both saved everyone else. They're like Scully and Mulder without the sex." She barely had time to finish when Conrad began running after a leaving Beckett.

" So first you don't tell me about a crime scene and now you're going to leave me at a crime scene, our relationship is moving so fast." His dry sarcasm elicited a Beckett eye roll and an over protective glare from Castle.

" You, oh amazing detective Conrad, will stay here and wait for Esposito and Ryan. We are going to talk to her family" She dismissed him but he kept following.

"Sorry but I'm your partner not theirs and I would love to see how you tackle breaking the news to families seeing as you have personal experience." Beckett stopped in her tracks. Castle didn't hesitate and slammed him against the SUV.

" I don't know who you think you are or where you came from but mark my words if you ever say something like that to her again I will end you." He hesitated to let go but Beckett pried his hands off. "Castle I can handle him." Conrad straightened his coat and scoffed at Castle. " What is writer boy going to do poke me with his pen?" He began laughing until Beckett slammed him back against the car. " Two things only I get to push him around and he's the least of your worries." His laughing stopped and he brushed himself off. " Now go help Esposito and Ryan before I kick your ass again." He turned around a scurried back to the crime scene.

On the way to the Alyssa's parents house Beckett couldn't stop staring at Castle and he noticed.

"What's on your mind?" she knew he had caught her.

"If the chief makes me be partners with him that will sever our partnership and you won't be able to shadow me anymore." She looked down from the road and a tear traced down her face.

" I'm not going anywhere who else will protect you from macho detectives?"

" Always she whispered?"

"Always."

Author's Note: This is not a one shot this will actually be probably a 10 or so chapter series. I have this idea in my head that will blow you away and it's really going to pull them together. Please keep reading it's about to get good.


	2. AlwaysNot

Alrighty then moving on once again I don't own it…damn.

The case hit a stump after the 3 boyfriends and before the missing last 4 hours.

" Nobody knows where she was at?" Beckett was staring at the murder board hoping something would come up. Conrad got up and sat on her desk beside her. " Boyfriend 1 was in Chicago, Boyfriend 2 was working a double shift at the hospital, and Boyfriend 3 has been in the same hospital for 2 days with a ruptured spleen." She had to tolerate him but that didn't mean she had to be close to him. She got up and sat back down in her chair still staring at the murder board.

"Some had to of seen her how does someone drop off the face of the earth for 4 hours…speaking of dropping off the face of the earth where the hell is Castle." She had only been at work for a few hours but his lack of presence worried her.

Esposito tapped her from behind and pointed to the Chief's office. There Castle was sitting in across from the Chief shaking his head and waving his arms. "Does writer boy always flail so much?" Conrad once again barged into her personal space. " Conrad just go help Ryan with the surveillance."

Beckett slowly walked towards the office and tried to listen in. " Roy this isn't fair I have done just as much for the 12th as any new detective would and you don't even have to pay me." Castle was rocking back and forth. "Rick you have money and you have a job some people aren't as fortunate, with the things the way they are I will give an honest cop a job over a writer any day." Castle and Beckett were both shocked by this. "Let me at least finish this case then I'll be gone for good." His tone was flat and his eyes piercing. "Fine…" Castle turned towards the door. " and Castle…I really am sorry." Castle didn't even turn around and whispered under his breath " me too".

Beckett pretended to do something important when he saw her. " Hey Castle we were just reviewing the case." He put on a smile and walked next to her as they went back to her desk. " So it wasn't Boyfriend 1-3 and it wasn't her family, what about work." Beckett liked this, the simple back and forth case solving they did. "No one at work had any problems with her and those who did alibied out."

Esposito and Ryan wandered over to them holding new case folders. "Lanie just sent up the tox report she was drugged with a low grade benzodiazepines injection, she couldn't feel anything which also explains the lack of struggle."

Castle stood up and paced to the murder board. "What if…" he turned to them all " this had nothing to do with jealousy or rage but instead was a cover up by the CIA because Alyssa here knew something about the testing they did at the hospital. That's why nobody remembers anything they were brainwashed." He did his villain laugh and grin. "Really he helps you solve cases?" Conrad pushed past Castle to give Beckett another folder. " Here is some real evidence… a 9 caliber hand gun was found in a garbage dumpster nearby prints on it belong to a Hernando Fescavez who has been charged with two accounts of domestic battery." Beckett hated for him to be right. "Let's go pick him up." She grabbed her coat and her and Castle began walking towards the door. She stopped and yelled back, "Conrad you coming?" He raced after them.

An hour later Fescavez was in interrogation 1 in cuffs because he resisted arrest. Beckett took Castle aside before she went in. "I'm going to take Conrad in there with me." He began to protest but before he could start she put a finger to his lips. "This was his call he gets to take down the bastard." Castle sulked to the viewing room and Conrad grinningly followed Beckett into the room.

"Mr. Fescavez I'm detective Kate Beckett do you know why you're here today?" Beckett knew this would be her easiest crack the evidence was against him. Behind the mirror Castle noticed the flinch of Fescavez when he saw Conrad, but it might have just been his ass hole vibe he gives off.

"We found a hand gun with your prints all over it." Beckett pointed to the gun on the table. "So half the people on my block have the same gun." He honestly looked like he had no idea what was going on. "This is the same gun that shot and killed Alyssa Carrow 2 days ago." His face turned sour. "No way I don't know how my prints got on it or in that dumpster but it was not me." Beckett knew she had him now. "Mr. Fescavez I didn't say anything about a dumpster." His face flushed and he leaned back in his seat. Beckett was about to talk again when Conrad cut her off. "So you knew where it was, you realizes we know you killed her, you might as well confess." He leaned in real close to Fescavez staring into his eyes.

Back in the viewing room Castle again could have sworn Fescavez flinched. " I want a lawyer." Beckett slammed her folder on the table and said to no one in particular, " of course you do." She grabbed Conrad by the arm and shoved him out of the interrogation room. Castle ran out of his room too to see this.

"When I have a suspect in a corner do not lower him a rope to get out." She couldn't believe his impotence he had been a detective for how long. "Beckett don't worry about it this is a solid case there is no way he can come out of knowing the location of the weapon." She knew he was right, again. "Fine go home it's about quitting time anyway…good job today." Conrad walked into the elevator and as the doors were closing he gave Castle a devilish smirk.

"Is it me or does this seem to easy?" Castle was sitting on Beckett's desk in front of her as she sat in her chair with her hand to her head. "He was stupid and didn't wipe the gun; it's an open and shut case." She wanted to go home and run a long bath. "Just here me out I was looking over his file his two charges were over 3 years ago." Beckett was now rubbing her head. "What are you getting at Castle maybe she made him mad and she had the benzodiazepine on her from work and he decided to live out one of his war games…I don't know we'll find out tomorrow."

She got up to leave but he got in her way. "I was looking at the autopsy photos the benzodiazepine was injected perfectly into her veins, not only that but it's a date rape drug not something you would just carry around. Also why in the world would he drug her take her to an alley, shoot her in the head, and not keep the gun. I mean the mans a cleaner when it comes to evidence he was only charged because a random shop keeper saw him. Beckett tried to push past him but he wouldn't let her go which was just frustrating.

"Castle I understand this is our last case together and you want it to last longer but it's not going to I wish it wasn't this way but we can't drag this case out just because you want to still play cop." Beckett didn't mean to say all of that but she was tired and upset. "You were listening." He looked down at the floor hoping not to shed any tears. "I can't say I agree with the chief but I can't say I disagree either I want you to stay on but Conrad needs a job and he cracked his first case." Castle was tired of hearing the name Conrad. He grabbed his coat and paced to the elevator. "Castle don't do that." She ran behind him barely catching the closing elevator. "Were still partners Conrad is just my new partner." Beckett tried to look sincere. "Then tell me this partner why did Fescavez flinch when Conrad walked into the room or got close to him?" Beckett thought back but she wasn't focused on him. "I didn't see anything." He pushed her hand off and he said through the closing elevator, "Just look at the film you'll see."

The elevator closed and Beckett turned to her desk frustrated. She just wanted to go home tonight but when she grabbed her coat she kept glancing back at the interrogation room. She set her stuff down and went into the viewing room. The tapes were still there and she rewound them to right before she and Conrad walked in. Fescavez was playing with his hands when the door opened. She walked in first and Fescavez smiled at her. Beckett thought Castle was crazy until Conrad walked in.

Author Note: Quick little thing I'm going to mention this in the next chapter but Beckett and Josh are so over, other than that keep reading it's about to get intense. Also they are going to get longer I just needed these two chapter as a sort of set up.


	3. Yes Sir

Disclaimer: Welp don't own them

Last Time: Fescavez was playing with his hands when the door opened. She walked in first and Fescavez smiled at her. Beckett thought Castle was crazy until Conrad walked in…

Fescavez's hands stopped and his face turned blank. This was impossible Conrad just got in town how could he know some inter-city scum like Fescavez? She watched them a few more times and it was unmistakable they knew each other. Not knowing what to do she calls the Chief.

"Hello…?" Beckett completely forgot that it was his night off and he probably was asleep.

"Hey Chief, it's Beckett I think we have a problem." She filled him in on what she saw on the tapes and what it could mean. " Beckett listen to me," he finally said, "I don't want you to pursue this yet, but keep him close. I'll talk to a few friends and find out about Conrad but don't tip him off." "Chief, Castle was the one to notice what do I do?" "You know as well as I do he's a loose cannon I want you to tell him you didn't see anything and hide the tapes till I figure it out. Anyways the evidence is so overwhelming them knowing each other could just be a coincidence Conrad didn't want anyone knowing about"

Beckett was unsure she wanted to sit back and lie to Castle but the Chief had a point if she went around accusing cops it would look bad on the department. She went home alone but was barely able to sleep.

*ring* *ring* Castle rolled over in his bed to get the phone. He looked at his alarm clock and noticed the ungodly time of 5 a.m. "Castle" He laid his head back down on the pillow as he listened for the disturber of the peace. "Hey Castle, it's Beckett I looked over those tapes and I just didn't see anything." He sat up when she said this because that was impossible HE saw something. "Why are you calling to tell me this won't I see you at the station." He heard a slight whimper from the other line.

"Castle that case is being processed and is about to be closed." Castle heard her struggling to say those last words because he knew what it meant. There was no more for him. "Well I'll swing by today anyway to pick up some things I left." He felt like he was breaking down. "Ok." She whispered back. "See you later Beckett." He hung up before she could respond and he just lay in his bed chasing the circles on his ceiling.

Beckett had spent the whole night getting up the courage to lie to Castle. When she finally did it was 5 in the morning and there was no going back. Now she couldn't believe what was happening. Castle was leaving, Conrad was staying. She rolled over on her side and began crying into her pillow as her world fell down around her.

When Castle got to the precinct Beckett had already got a new case. He began walking towards her desk but paused when he noticed it. Conrad was sitting in his chair. I guess he couldn't call it his chair, but it was the seat where all his good ideas came from and Conrad took it. He walked up behind him and coughed lightly to indicatehis presence.

"Well hey Rick you here to pick up your things." Conrad was all smiles. Castle flashed a fake smile at Conrad and looked down and noticed Beckett's somber expression. "Yes Conrad, I am but it will only take a second don't worry." Conrad was still sitting in the chair looking up at Castle. Beckett finally broke the stare off. "Conrad would you give us a minute?" His smile faded "of course."

Beckett patted "his" seat's cushion, but Castle shook his head. "Doesn't seem right, it's not mine anymore." Beckett's face dropped from the small smile it had for him to a tearful grimace. "All I need is my vest out of your car and my spare shirt in your drawer." He was short and to the point. "She got up and shoved past him. "Alright then let's get this over with." Now he was the one grimacing. What did she have to be mad about? The elevator to the parking garage was silent. As they approached Beckett's car she stopped and turned into him.

"It's not like this was my idea." She let out all her pent up anger, but Castle matched it. "It's not like you tried to stop it or anything. You were standing outside the room you could have said something." He walked towards her making her stumble back into the back of her car. "Yes I could have said something but would it have helped, Conrad is a good detective, maybe not as good as you but he has worked for this job." She tried pressing him back but his sheer presence was too much.

"So I mean nothing. I'm just the guy who wrote a bunch of books about you and never did anything productive?"

"That's not what I said?"

"but that's what you meant"

"Stop putting words in my mouth…" She slammed him in the chest. "You're important." She did it again "You're important." She then fell into his arms and whispered into his chest as she cried, "You're important." She regained her composure and just stared into his eyes. "I'm sorry Castle…I'm so sor…" Before she could finish Castle had her pressed against the car kissing her lips with all of the emotional pain of the last days. She began getting deeper into it giving his tongue access into her mouth as she sucked on his lips. After a short time they had to stop for oxygen. Heads against each other and breathing heavily Castle whispers to her, "I'm not going to leave." She holds his hand "You promise?" He kisses her one last time and whispers on her lips, "Always."

Castle grabbed his vest and went in the elevator before her. "I'll be back." He did his best terminator impersonation. She giggled at his ability to be a 12 year old in such an awful time. He got off the elevator and walked towards Beckett's chair to get his shirt. As he approached he noticed Conrad working at Beckett's desk. He peered around the murder board and noticed Conrad writing something in the Alyssa Carrow case file. He tried to get a closer look but made some noise and attracted Conrad's attention. Castle played it off as if he had just got there.

"Hey bud I just need to get in her desk real quick." Castle noticed Conrad shift the file under some other folders. "Yeah sure "bud"." Castle wasn't amused with Conrad's sarcastic tone. He grabbed his shirt and went towards the elevator. As he hit the button the elevator binged and Beckett was standing there fidgeting with her nails. Her face lit up when she saw him. He entered in the elevator and whispered for her to stay.

"Ok so you'll never guess what I just saw." He was looking at her intently. "What" She said nonchalantly. "Alex Conrad…" Before he had time to finish she added, "Shut the front door." His face showed he wasn't amused. "Fine what?" " I saw Alex Conrad changing something in the Alyssa Carrow file." She let out an exasperated sigh and crossed her arms. "You need to drop it." She put on her most convincing face knowing that this could be a lead. He sighed and exited the elevator. "Would it be against the rules to still bring you coffee." She giggled again as the doors closed and she rode once again back up to the 12th.

She saw Conrad at her desk not doing anything. However she still felt a need to tell the Chief. She knocked on his door and he called her in.

"I think we might have a problem." He said.

"Does it have to do with Conrad?" She kept her voice down as she approached his desk.

"How'd you know?" He leaned in closer as well. "Well Castle…" She didn't get any further when he put up his hand. "Castle shouldn't be here anymore what could he have seen." She was still put off by the Chief's attitude towards Castle. "He was here to pick up the last of his things and he noticed Conrad changing some things in my completed Alyssa Carrow file." She left out her and Castle's incident in the garage.

"Ok then…" His tone got really serious. "Alex Conrad has been in 5 precincts in 3 states in the past 3 years. I checked into some of the cases he worked and for 4 of the 5 one of his last cases was with a female gunshot to the head. All 4 cases were open and shut cases. 2 were done by drug dealers, a third was done by an under level mob capo, and the last one was a onetime rapist." Beckett was absorbing all of this information. "Did you know this before?" He looked down. "Chief did you know this before he came?" "I was told that he was on a watch list, then the murder happened. I couldn't stop him so my only solace was in hiring him so that you could. I wasn't mean to Castle because I wanted to be we have to get this guy."

"Then let's get him." His face got even lower, "There hasn't been enough evidence to get him on anything, the first suspect in every case confessed and nothing points to him except the location." "So what do we do?" Roy paused and looked straight into her eyes. "We get him anyway we know how." She knew he couldn't give this up.

"Where do we begin?" He handed her a case file. "This is going to be risky but it'll be worth it." She flipped through it and noticed it wasn't a homicide case but a drug cartel. "The only way we will get him is if we keep investigating Alyssa Carrow's case without him knowing. The only way to do that is to send you two undercover. It'll be a short term project that I have set up to look like an inside investigation of a low level narcotic dealer who was supposed to be a leak." Beckett knew how dangerous this would be not because of the cartel but because she couldn't give any signs to Conrad that she knew.

"I'm in." He held up his hand again. "There's one last thing you have to do if you expect to get him." She expected anything but what he said, "You have to get rid of Castle." Her mouth hung open as she took it in. "What do you mean get rid of him?"

"Even if he is off this squad I know him, you know him. He will constantly be around and he already is suspicious. You have to end it for a little while." She was dumbfounded. "End what sir?" He grabbed her shoulder and looked straight at her. "I need you to make Castle not want to come back, I need you to make him hate you." "The only way he won't get involved with you, undercover, with Conrad, is if he hates you." She could barely breathe and had to weigh the options in her head. She could potentially lose Castle forever but she would be giving justice to these girls and saving any future victims.

"Yes sir."

Author's Note: Sorry it's been awhile I had a softball game every day this week. Anyhow, did anyone else notice that Beckett and Castle said always to each other in the last episode just like in the beginning of my story. I thought that was awesome. I will hopefully be getting the next one up soon. Review please I love comments.


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